On Friday, March 27th, 2020, Los Angeles County shut down its beaches in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Beaches across the state had started shutting down on Monday after a sunny weekend saw thousands flock to the sand. Yesterday, a Manhattan Beach surfer was fined $1,000 after ignoring a lifeguard’s orders to not paddle out.

​Due to COVID-19, the following California beaches are closed (current as of 3/27):
San Diego
All San Diego City Beaches
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Carlsbad State Beaches
San Onofre State Beach parking lot closed
Orange County
Seal Beach
Newport Beach — beachfront parking lots closed
Laguna Beach
All OC State Beaches closed to vehicular traffic
Los Angeles County
LA County beaches closed through April 19th
El Matador State Beach
Leo Carillo State Park
Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Lagoon State Beach
Pt Dume State Beach
RH Meyer State Beach
Topanga State Park
Ventura County
Mandalay State Beach
Point Mugu State Park
San Buenaventura State Beach
Santa Barbara County
Carpinteria State Beach
El Capitan State Beach
Gaviota State Park
Refugio State Beach
San Luis Obispo County
Cayucos State Beach
Morro Strand State Beach
Pismo State Beach
Monterey County
Andrew Molera State Park
Carmel River State Beach
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Monterey State Beach
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Santa Cruz County
Manresa State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach
New Brighton State Beach
Seacliff State Beach
San Mateo County 
Ano Nuevo State Park
Bean Hollow State Beach
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Montara State Beach
Pescadero State Beach
Pomponio State Beach
San Gregorio State Beach
​San Francisco
Ocean Beach parking lots are closed.

​The nine-time world bodyboarding champion smashed his opponents in the final with a near-perfect 9.50-point wave backed up by a 7.17-point score. At the age of 56, Stewart claimed the 16th Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic title of his career.

The event ran its 44th edition and got 60 athletes competing in four-to-six foot waves and strong trade winds. Mark Cunningham, Dave Hubbard, Mark Drewelow, Keith Malloy, Kalani Lattanzi, and Timothy Hamilton were some of the names involved in the contest.

​Final
1. Mike Stewart, 16.67
2. Arthur Picard, 11.33
3. Chris Kalima, 8.17
4. Craig Watson, 6.13

Leaderboard | Top 10 (Four Best Waves)
1. Mike Stewart, 28.90
2. Dylan Biggerstaff, 27.24
3. Arthur Picard, 25.73
4. Craig Watson, 23.77
5. Todd Sells, 23.41
6. Chris Kalima, 23.03
7. Timothy Hamilton, 22.89
8. Dave Hubbard, 22.83
9. Kelly Slater, 22.50
​10. Joel Badina, 22.13

Surf companies sell exciting, idyllic, and adrenaline-fueled surfing experiences, and they're highly successful doing it.
The reason why surfing became a multimillion-dollar sports industry is that brands appeal to consumers' emotions and dreams in a very effective way.
Whether inviting you to "stay high" or "live the search," corporate surfing makes you believe "life's better in boardshorts." And it could be, as long as these giant conglomerates continue selling clothing, footwear, and accessories.
​
With the advent of Olympic surfing and wave pools, the sport of riding waves will likely continue to conquer new markets and segments of the population that have never had contact with surfboards.
The surf industry is what it is, and surfing wouldn't be what it is today without the innovations and technologies companies have developed during the sport's first century of existence.

Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Billabong, and O'Neill - also known as the Big Four - focus their marketing plans on selling clothing, i.e., t-shirts, jackets, pants, sweatshirts, flannels, hoodies, tanks, and boardshorts. Surf companies focus their operation in three major territories: America, Europe, and Oceania. That's where they get over 90 percent of their annual income. The majority of the world's wetsuits are made in the same place. Taiwan's Sheico Group produces two million wetsuits per year for the planet's most prestigious surf companies.

American multinational corporation Nike announced it has reached a definitive agreement to sell Hurley to Bluestar Alliance LLC. ​ Bluestar Alliance is a brand management firm founded by Joseph Gabbay and Ralph Gindi in 2006.

It owns, manages, and markets a portfolio of consumer brands including Bebe, Brookstone, Catherine Malandrino, English Laundry, Joan Vass, Kensie, Limited Too, Nanette Lepore, Tahari, and others.

In 2019, Bluestar Alliance is expecting combined retail sales of over $3 billion. "We have always admired Hurley. It has maintained its leadership role and premium positioning in the surfing world," noted Joey Gabbay, CEO of Bluestar Alliance. "We look forward to building upon the existing Hurley network and expanding to additional countries. We see the brand continuing to evolve into a 360-degree lifestyle brand, with action sports playing a key role."

The terms of the deal between both parties have not been publicly revealed. In 2002, when Nike acquired Hurley, the surf company founded by Bob Hurley had annual sales of $70 million.

Last year, Kathmandu announced the acquisition of Rip Curl, the New Zealand-based retailer took over the iconic Australian surf brand for A$350 million ($236 million). Rip Curl was founded in 1969 by Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick, in Torquay. The company has been in the hands of the duo ever since. Kathmandu aims to give birth to a "global outdoor and actions sports company" with annual revenues of NZ$1 billion ($626 million).

Although well known in Australia and New Zealand, the Kiwi camping gear brand hopes to take advantage of the synergies to conquer the European and North American markets. Kathmandu acquired 100 percent of Rip Curl Group Pty Limited.

Slater's latest enterprise would be part of the 400-acre Coral Mountain resort, which would include homes, a private club, multiple dining venues and adventure sports.

To realize this strange California dream, the 11-time world champion surfer teamed up with private real estate investment and development firm Meriwether Companies and Big Sky Wave Developments, founded by Michael B. Schwab, son of the brokerage pioneer Charles Schwab. The idea was to breathe new life into a destination that for decades was synonymous with golf.

"The Coachella Valley is dominated by more than 150 golf courses," said Noah Hahn, a partner at Meriwether Companies. "This is a radically different vision."

​The $200 million Coral Mountain complex, which is in the permitting stage, would have a 150-room hotel and up to 600 homes in the $1 million to $5 million range, The Associated Press reported. Access to amenities would be exclusive to homeowners, hotel guests, members and their guests. Dining would be open to the public through reservations.

The centerpiece of Coral Mountain would be the wave basin, which would hold about 18 million gallons of water. A golf course, by contrast, uses 1 million gallons of water a day, Hahn said.

The Coral Mountain wave would have room for about 25 surfers at a time — about five on the main wave and 10 each on the smaller waves at each end of the basin. It would feature waves for all athletic levels, Hahn said.

He estimated that Coral Mountain could break ground by 2021.

Electric vehicle entrepreneur Henrik Fisker has unveiled his first mass-market EV, an SUV called the Fisker Ocean, ahead of the 2020 Consumer Electronics show. Starting at $37,500, Fisker says the electric SUV will get between 250 and 300 miles per charge, and it will feature solar panels on the roof. Fisker Inc., plan to put the Ocean on the road sometime around the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.
Fisker Inc. also says it plans to develop two other models that will use the Ocean’s technological platform and also teased features like a karaoke mode (which Tesla added to its cars late last year) and a “California mode” where all the windows will roll down at the touch of a button.
​For more information, click here.

The WSL has announced that Sophie Goldschmidt “will be stepping down from her post” as Chief Executive Officer and that President of Content, Media and Studios Erik “E-Lo” Logan will be filling her shoes.

“Sophie has had a huge impact on the WSL,” said WSL-owner Dirk Ziff in the presser. “She is responsible for transforming both our business capabilities and culture in her tenure as CEO. With the converging trends in sports, media and entertainment, we mutually agreed it was time to make a change. Erik Logan is a proven leader and a world-class media executive with a profound personal connection to the sport of surfing. We are excited about what he will accomplish as CEO. We will always be grateful to Sophie for her contributions to surfing and we look forward to the WSL’s next chapter.”

“With the WSL now ready to become a more focused content and media company, the Board and I have mutually agreed it is the right time to make a change,” Goldschmidt said. “Having worked closely with Erik, he is the right person to lead the WSL into its next era. I am excited about what lies ahead for the organization.”

The Paris 2024 executive board just approved French Polynesia as the site for surfing in the 2024 Games. 
The official decision needs approval by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee. They will meet early next year to continue the conversation.
​Organizers were emphatic that the 2024 Games were not going to be held in a wave pool. It is only a short 10,000-mile jaunt from the opening ceremonies to The End of the Road and the Tahitian “Wall of Skulls” will certainly be an upgrade compared to the Japanese beachbreak this July.

It is with heavy hearts that we say good bye to Robert “Bob” Burnside. A legend in the Los Angeles lifeguarding community.
Burnside passed away on December 11, 2019, at home in Utah. He was 87.
​Robert "Bob" Burnside was appointed the first president of the Surf Life Saving Association of America in 1964, which later became known as the United States Lifesaving Association. In 1965, he was appointed president of the National Surf Life Saving Association.
In 1967, he developed the revolutionary plastic “Burnside Rescue Can”, now a standard for lifeguards worldwide and iconic symbol of beach lifeguarding.
​He was a champion swimmer who introduced the Malibu balsa surfboard to Australia. He wrote the History of Junior Lifeguarding.